AUSTALIA
FOR MEDIA FRIDAY, 12 MARC-H 1982
CIVIC RECEPTION, BENALLA
I would like to thank you very much indeed for that welcome.
I think we can for an ecumenical movement at least for today
and maybe it: would be better if it could last for longer than
a day. But, it would seem to me that a large part of what
we are seeing right here is what Australia is all about.
I think we really do believe that this is one of the best
countries in the world to live in. I believe it is one of
the best countries in th6 world to bring children up in.
There were a number of kids outside a little earlier this
afternoon as Tamie and I came in.
It really is a wonderful thing to see a community that is doing
so much for itself in partnership i~ f you like, with whatever
state and Federal governments can do. The real motivating
force for the kind of enthusiasm that you have exhibitied
Mr Mayor, and for the obvious progress that Benalla ' has
experienced comes from people who live within that community
and the government cannot create that, it has to be something
in the minds3 and hearts of people themselves.
I just think because he is departing a political ' scene, I
would like o say that I am glad to see Tom McEwan here.. Ile
has been member for this area for what, 21 years and this is
the last time that he is standing for this electorate and
he will not be standing again on this occasion, and it has been
represented in this State over a very long time.
I am glad you me ntioned textiles industry and this morning
we were at B3ruck mills in Wangaratta and we know the importance
of the textile industry to many country towns and communities
right throug hout Australia. it is not only that, I don't
really believe I could imagine Australia without a textile
industry, so what we wanted to do was to take some decisions
that would open industry to a touch of internati -onal competition,
but also we wanted a decision that would encourage more investment
in the industries in Australia so that they would buy modern
machinery, modern equipment, become competitive. That indeed
is what a significant numbei of firms in -the textile, appare.
and footWEac industries are now doing as a result of decisions
we took about 18 months. / 2
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Where I was this morning in Wangaratta at Bruck
Mills I was told that they are -trying to crash into some export
markets and you might think they are going to go to Europe
you might think they are going to go the United States, but
they are OPE! ning offices in Singapore and Hong Kong. That
is the kind of imagination and initiative and confidence that
we want to see from Australia's industries. I think we know
that that kind of thing would not have happened with t he motor
industries without decisions which seek to balance the competing
interests ol' different groups, different people within the
community. Quite obviously we had very much in mind not only
the maintenance of an industry, but the impact of that industry
on employment, on country towns and communities and on the
well-being of Australia. I have been very glad to see how the
industry has indeed been prospering since that decision was
in fact made.
I appreciate Mr Mayor very much this Civic reception which
you are attending for Tamie and to myself. From across the bridge when
we saw this magnificent art gallery, we almost thought that
we were loodng at the Sydney Opera ' House. If the cost
structure was similar and you are free of debt, you certainly
need no more help from the Commonwealth. We are looking forward
to seeing tfte collection you have in this Gallery in a few
moments time.
The Mayor has said everything about Benalla. lie has made it
vcry plain that the city is moving ahead, but everyone here
knows that it is in the centre o-K a vastly important
rural area and people may not know that rural areas in this
state have been expanding their production at a greater rate
than in any other state. I don't know if I could say
that tactfully in Queensland or Western Australia because the
Premier of Queensland might not like that being said. It happens
to be true. So many things have happened in Victoria over the
years that I think we have tended to take what happens in the
state very much for granted. We forget that there are great
resource developments in Loy Yang which have gone on, what
over 60 years, that the largest construction project in
Australia h7. appens to be taking place in Loy Yang right at
this moment. in the development of adequate power for this State.
I cannot dE! velop that point Mr Mayor, or I will cease to be
ecumenical. Family inco~ mes, household income in this State is higher than
in any others. Savings in this state are higher than any of
the others. While we know there are problems at the moment
facing people at the moment who want to buy a home, over the
years home ownership has been higher in this state than in
any other s; tate. These are all objectives which I amn sure
all Victcri-ans would want to maintain in the years ahead because
again it gets back to what thi~ s country is all. about, the kind
of lives that families and children, that people, whatever
they want to do are able to do in the State Victoria or in
the wider Australia.
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I believe tftiat all of you must be enormL1ously proud of what
has happened, of what you have been achieving in Benalla.
This is-in a. sense just a small part of what is happening
right across Australia because the sort of things that you
are so proud of here, that you are doing so well to improve
life in and around Benalla is happenIng in many other parts
of the country, in this State and in other states of the
Commonwealt4. That again is what Australia is all about.
I sometimes think it would be interesting if we could'preserve,
and maybe you have already done it, in Benalla and every country
town and in a few places in the city of Melbourne, In Sydney
and whatever, the kind of home people might have moved in
in 1946 or 1947 with the kind of equipment that went into
that home and then the kind of home -that gets built in 1982 or
1983 with the kind of equipment that young Australians expect
to be in that home, probably in many cases from the day they
first move into that home.
I can remember, it is meant to be an all--electric state and
we bought a farm in Western Victoria having been told that
the SEC would be there in two or three years. About 25 years
the SEC arrived. They do a wonderful job once they come.
There was a Coolguardie safe. I wonder how many people
here, none of those kids outside would know what a Coolguardie
safe, but I wonder how many people here know what a Coolguardie
safe is? I suppose, well there are some who do and then
we manage to get by fair means or foul a small electrolux
kerosene refrigerator and we thought that paradise had arrived
especially as it came before one particular Christmas.
That just is a very small way in which things have changed.
I think would not hurt to have it on record for those
kids outside, and for people who cannot possibly remember
what it was like, what average homes were like, 30, 35 years
ago or whatever, or even 20 years ago so they can see the
contributicn that their parents have made over the * years to
building up the standard of life, the quality of life, the
quality of pepole's homes in this country.
Indeed, I guess you would only have to look at a model of
Benalla at the same time in 1946 it probably would not be
one half, cne quarter, one tenth of the place that it is today.
What has happened in the intervening. time is a tribute to
the kind of work and efforts that many-mayors, many councillors
and many citizens and private people have put into building
something better over the years.
Most of us have such a good life in this country that we reall. y
do take it for granted and we don't understand the changes that
have been made, that it has sometimes come at cost, but that
those changes over the years are enormous and significant and
the important thing is that those changes are significant in
terms of the way ordinary, average decent Australians are ablE!
to lead out. their lives, in this country because that really
is what -it is all about.
Mr Mayor, thank you very much indeed for hospitality and your
gonerosity to Tamite and myself.